


Cold Hands, Warm Heart

by BluBerserker



Series: Monster AU [2]
Category: citrus - サブロウタ | citrus - Saburouta
Genre: Alternate Universe, Animal Ears, F/F, Vampire!Mei, Werewolf!Yuzu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-03 07:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14564334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluBerserker/pseuds/BluBerserker
Summary: Sequel to 'Curiosity almost killed the Werewolf'





	1. Chapter 1

Yuzu shivered as a gust of cold air passed through the shattered windows. She cupped her hands around her mouth and blew to keep herself warm as she waited by the door. Even though it has been a few months since she committed herself to her beloved master, she still hadn’t gotten around to fixing the windows that were smashed while she was being pursued. 

 

It was the beginning of Winter and Yuzu was starting to feel the effects of the cold weather. Her master was unaffected by the cold and wouldn’t have noticed that the temperature was almost below freezing if it weren’t for the blonde’s constantly chattering teeth and the white clouds that escaped her mouth everytime she exhaled. While wolves and humans typically have the same body temperature, wolves have a thick layer of fur to keep them warm during cold seasons. However, Yuzu lacked this trait when she was in her regular human form, meaning that her health would be affected in the long run if exposed to such conditions for the next few months. 

 

“Get the windows fixed”, Mei ordered, “It would be troublesome for me if my only servant were to get sick”, she added.

 

Yuzu couldn’t help but smile at the memory. Even though Mei tried to sound as authoritative as usual it was obvious that she was concerned for the blonde’s well being. Though, after weeks of trying (and failing) to repair the windows she finally gave up and decided to call her friend, Matsuri, who was a famous doctor and an even more powerful witch. Her thoughts were cut short when a sudden glow followed by the appearance of a hooded figure came out of nowhere.

 

The werewolf girl squeezed the girl in front of her before pulling back and smiling warmly at her, “Thanks for coming, Matsuri. I knew I could count on you when it came to fixing things”.

 

The short girl pulled her hood back, revealing a pointy hat and an impish grin, “Sure, anything for you Yuzu-chan, though I didn’t expect you to end up in this place”. 

 

“Huh? What do you mean?”

 

But instead of answering her the younger girl pulled out what appeared to be a wand from her pocket. Matsuri motioned to the windows with her wand and just like that, the shattered pieces of glass started floating into the window frame. Each individual shard moved into its original place and connected with all the other ones, almost like puzzle pieces. 

 

Just then the vampiress appeared.

 

“Oh, Master! Look, the windows are fixed”, Yuzu chimed happily. 

 

Mei ignored her servant’s enthusiasm and glared at the unwanted guest in her mansion, “What are  _ you  _ doing here?”, she asked with a sharp edge in her tone.

 

Matsuri didn’t answer and instead engaged in a staring contest with the raven haired beauty. However, the staring contest was interrupted by Yuzu, who stepped in between them in an effort to prevent any  _ physical  _ hostility that may occur. “It’s okay, I called her here”

 

Mei raised an eyebrow, “Why?”

 

“T-to help fix the windows”, she answered nervously but did not falter under her gaze.

 

After she took a moment to think, Mei huffed and started to ascend the stairs, “Leave once you’re done”.

 

Yuzu was left confused and speechless for a minute before she snapped out of her daze, “Matsuri, do you have… history with Mei-sama?”.

 

The pink haired girl moved to a different window, repairing it while she answered with a smirk, “You could say that. I stole some of the grimoires from her library... and she thinks that I tried to kill her” 

 

“D-did you?!”, Yuzu cried incredulously.

 

“No. I was merely trying to collect some of her blood as an ingredient for a spell. Not that it matters anymore since I was unsuccessful in acquiring it”, she shrugged offhandedly. “Besides, I managed to create a different spell without the use of vampire blood so I won’t be needing it anymore”. 

 

The girl continued to fix the rest of the windows wordlessly while Yuzu stared off in the direction Mei left, “So if it was all a misunderstanding then why didn’t you just explain it to her? I’m sure she’d understand...”

 

Matsuri sighed as she fixed the last window before replying, “It doesn’t really matter… but anyway, the reason I came here was to tell you that you should get out of here as soon as possible”

 

“Huh?! There’s no way I can just leave! Mei-sama saved my life and as a werewolf I must-”

 

“You must serve and be dedicated to her for the rest of your life… right?”, Matsuri cut her off in a monotonous voice. “I know, but I’m warning you now; A vampire and a werewolf  _ cannot  _ stay together”, she emphasized her point by giving Yuzu a firm look.

 

Before Yuzu could reply, the younger girl disappeared in a flash of light, leaving her confused and torn.  _ ‘Even if you tell me that, I can’t just leave her… not now’,  _ Yuzu clutched her chest. The simple thought of the vampire girl always set her heart ablaze. Her heart rate would increase rapidly and her whole face would light up red as a tomato. Yuzu knew that she had a crush on the girl but there was no way she could admit it. Falling for one’s master was forbidden and apparently so is living with a vampire. Yuzu sighed,  _ ‘But why is it forbidden?’ _ . 

 

The thought of a forbidden love was exciting for Yuzu, especially since she’s been dreaming of falling in love with someone her whole life. But, knowing Mei, she was hesitant to proclaim her love as vampires are known to abide by the ‘ancient rules’. That meant that even if Yuzu confessed, there was a big chance that Mei would reject her and possibly be no longer wanted as her servant.

 

* * *

 

After Matsuri left, Yuzu didn’t see Mei for the rest of the day until dinner time. The atmosphere between them had become awkward and tense after that one kiss they shared. Neither of them had mentioned it again and now that Matsuri had told her about this ‘forbidden love’ situation, Yuzu had trouble looking at her master in the eye. Not that it wasn’t already hard enough for her to meet her intense gaze. Today, it was harder than usual to talk to the vampire girl as it seemed like she was in a particularly bad mood. Nevertheless, the werewolf girl still tried to fill in the silences by telling stories of how she’d first met Matsuri.

 

On the other hand, Mei was confused, more than she ever had been her whole life. She’d spent most of her time alone and isolated in her mansion and never put much thought into her romantic life. But after the blonde girl barged into her life, things started happening to her. _Strange_ things, like her chest tightening whenever she spoke to her. When she saw that witch talking to her servant earlier she felt her chest constrict again, but it seemed different from usual. She could not fathom why though, which left her angry and frustrated for the rest of the day. She also didn’t understand why Yuzu would be friends with someone like that girl. 

 

“Master? Is the food not to your taste?”, Yuzu suddenly asked, almost sounding apologetic. Mei had been grimacing while she was deep in thought.

 

“No, the food is exquisite. My apologies, it’s just that... I haven’t been feeling so good lately”, the raven haired girl confessed.

 

Yuzu gasped in horror, “Oh no! You feel sick? Have you caught a cold maybe?”

 

Mei shook her head, “No, it’s not like that. It’s…”, she paused for a moment trying to think of the words to describe it. “It’s like there’s something heavy in my chest and it’s hard to breathe”, she finally answered, squeezing the fabric of her clothes to prove her point.

 

“Oh… perhaps you have heartburn then?”, the blonde was starting to get worried.

 

Mei sighed in frustration, “No, it’s not that either. It’s…”, she grew silent again as she started to think. 

 

“When and how often do you experience it?”, Yuzu asked, hoping it would help Mei describe what she was feeling.

 

_ ‘It happens when…’ _

 

“Maybe I should call Matsuri for help”

 

_ Throb.  _ There it was again. “No”, Mei said simply.

 

Yuzu seemed to be oblivious to the dark change in tone of the vampire’s voice. Either that or she decided to ignore it, “Look, I know you and Matsuri don’t get along but if what you have is serious I can’t help you. Matsuri will be able to perform an exam on you and heal you in no time!”

 

“Stop saying her name”, suddenly, the girl was pinned to the table, held down by the vampire. “The pain occurs when you talk about her. Why?”

 

The blonde, startled at first, snapped out of her daze. Her thoughts escaping her mouth before she could stop them, “Master, could you be… jealous?”

 

Mei’s grip on the werewolf loosened as her eyes widened when realization struck. There’s no way right? She will admit that she felt anger and resentment towards the witch, but jealous? There was absolutely no way that a noble vampire such as herself could feel such petty emotions. At least, that’s what she thought. 

 

With every second that passed by, everything seemed to make more and more sense. She’d read about things like this before, though she never really had much of an interest in romance novels, she still came across a few sappy romance stories while reading classic literature. Reading about how the girls’ heart beat fast in the presence of their love interest. She could relate to those ‘sappy romance stories’ now more than ever as her face flushed with embarrassment.

 

“Master, your face is red! Maybe you  _ did  _ catch a cold!”, Yuzu started to fuss over her.

 

Mei turned around, she had years of experience in keeping her external appearance calm and collected. After inhaling and exhaling she turned back to the werewolf girl, her face in its usual look of indifference. She leaned in closer to Yuzu, so close that she could smell the girl’s lemony scent and cupped her face with a gentle hand, “I told you to stop calling me that”. And with that the vampire left the girl to become flustered by herself, oblivious to the fact that Mei herself had just now learned what it felt like. She was just better at hiding it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, new series!
> 
> Will be quite short though since I still have to finish my other fic. As always, hope you enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 2

Yuzu was frustrated. Not only did she become more nervous in the presence of the raven haired vampire but the other girl had pretended like nothing had happened. Though Matsuri's warning was still fresh in her mind, she simply could not imagine leaving her beloved master. Especially since she'd fallen even harder for Mei after she suggested that perhaps her master cared enough about her to feel jealous of an old friend. Still, Matsuri's insistent tone bothered her. On top of that, it seemed like Mei really did catch a cold.

"If only I'd gotten the windows fixed sooner!", she'd scold herself while frantically trying anything that could possibly cure her master of her ailment. "Is it warm enough, master?"

Mei leaned back on her chair and turned to Yuzu, who was putting more wood into the fireplace. "Will you please calm yourself. It's not that serious- _Achoo!_ ", Mei sniffled a bit before continuing with her work, or at least she was trying to. Apparently, even the most 'noble monsters' had to work. Usually vampires are members of aristocracy and even though Mei would be one by blood it would require her to attend social gatherings on a regular basis. So instead of riding on her family's success she decided to work on her own.

Now, Mei is a renowned author of a famous book series that is beloved by both monsters and humans. She works under a pen name so as not to draw attention to herself and get involved with the outside world. This has led to the vampire living a relatively peaceful life in her own mansion. However, recently she'd been running out of ideas and her agent had been practically begging her to at least write a draft to her next book.

Her effort to ease the blonde girl was ignored, "Oh no! It's getting worse! You should really lie down! Shall I make you some tea?". Yuzu started pacing around, her hand placed under her chin in thought, "No, no, human remedies wouldn't work on a vampire… Oh, but I couldn't find any cold remedies for vampires in the library and I already tried calling Matsuri but she still hasn't answered!"

This got Mei's attention, "Why would you call _her_?"

"Because Matsuri's a doctor!"

Mei opened her mouth to say something but was quickly cut off by a small cough.

Yuzu gasped in horror at the sound, "Is your throat sore? Maybe I _should_ make you some tea-"

"Yuzu… I think some tea would be nice"

"Right away, Master!", without another moment's notice, Yuzu sprinted off into the kitchen to make the tea.

' _I told you to stop calling me that'._ Mei sighed at the girl's antics. She'd been making a whole fuss over her small cold. It wasn't even that serious. Sure, her nose was stuffy and she had a small cough but that was about it. She couldn't remember the last time she was sick. Had she ever even been sick? She also couldn't remember the last time someone fussed over her like this. A small smile graced her features. It was almost nice… but she wasn't about to admit that to the other girl. She shook her head to cut off her own thoughts and went back to writing out her ideas for her next story.

' _Maybe I should write something more romantic this time'_

* * *

Meanwhile, Yuzu was looking through the assortment of medicinal herbs. "Hmm… some Moon Dewberry should be good", she mumbled to herself as she began to prepare a cup and started to fill the kettle with some water. As she waited for the kettle to boil, her thoughts trailed off once again. She thought about Matsuri's warning, about her kiss with Mei and then about her recent behaviour. Was the vampire girl really jealous or did she just resent Matsuri that much? And what about her behaviour after they kissed? She pretended like nothing happened afterwards, going back to their master-servant relationship. The kettle's shrill whistle forced her to snap out of her thoughts.

She turned the stove off and poured the boiling water into the teapot. Just as she was about to pick up the teapot her vision momentarily blurred and she felt a mind-numbing migraine. She nearly lost her balance, only catching herself at the last second. ' _Maybe I caught her cold',_ she thought to herself while placing a hand over her head. Yuzu took a deep breath to get a hold of herself and made her way to Mei's room holding a silver tray with a cup and the teapot.

"Master, I've prepared your tea"

But the vampire girl was so focused on what she was writing that she hardly noticed Yuzu come in. Yuzu smiled at the sight of Mei working so diligently and poured the tea into a cup, leaving it next to her master. "Well then, I will be in my room if you need anything", she excused herself before shutting the door.

While on her way to her room she felt that numbing dizziness again. This time, more painful than the last. Waves of pain would come and go and she had to support herself against the wall to keep her knees from collapsing under her. Once she made it to her room she immediately stumbled towards the telephone on her side table and dialed Matsuri's number. Before she could even hear the other girl pick up, her sight had darkened and her consciousness faded.

* * *

Mei sighed in satisfaction as she took off her glasses. She finally managed to finish her first draft. She reached over to sip the rest of her tea, only realizing now that she had finished it about an hour ago. She'd been so invested in her work that she didn't realize that it was already past her dinner time.

' _Strange',_ she thought. Yuzu would have already called her by this time or at least checked up on her.

It was deathly quiet, almost too quiet. Like around the time when she was still living on her own type of quiet. This didn't feel right. Mei got up from her chair to look for her servant. But before she even set foot out of her room the telephone rang, disrupting the eerie silence of the entire building.

It was rare for someone to call her, let alone know her number. So she quickly went over to the small table next to her bed and picked up the phone.

"Hello?", an unpleasant yet familiar voice asked from the other side of the line. It was that little thief, _Matsuri._

"What is it?", Mei tried not to snarl.

The change in tone was obvious when Matsuri spoke again, "Yuzu called me but I was unable to answer her. You know what? Just hand the phone over to Yuzu", she demanded.

Before Mei could reply she was silenced by a coughing fit. When she pressed the phone back to her ear the other girl's demeanor completely changed.

"You… you're sick? What are the symptoms?"

The raven haired girl was confused at the sudden change of tone, "Just a cold. Why?". She hadn't really meant to show any concern but Matsuri's change in behaviour and question had somehow filled her with dread.

There was a moment of silence from Matsuri's side before she finally answered, "You're a vampire. Vampires don't get sick… unless you have vampiritis in which case… Hold on a minute", she went quiet again before the line went dead.

Mei was left confused and irritated by the witch's strange behaviour but decided to shrug it off until a sudden burst of light nearly blinded her. After blinking several times she recognized the pointed hat atop a head of pink hair. She would have reacted with hostility had it been any other situation but the distressed expression on her face made her reluctant to do so.

"Where is Yuzu?!", she demanded with panicked urgency.

"...Most likely in her room", the vampire was still reluctant to help her but was confused above all else, especially at the other girl's reaction.

At once Matsuri bounded off, somehow sensing the blonde werewolf. Yuzu's room wasn't far, it was straight down the hall. Mei followed the witch into her servant's room and paused when she saw the girl momentarily freeze after barging into Yuzu's room. When Mei finally entered the room her breath caught in her throat.

Yuzu was lying motionless on the floor, unresponsive to both Mei and Matsuri.

"Yuzu!", Mei immediately ran to her. "What happened?", she asked Matsuri, who was already examining the blonde's body.

First, Matsuri spread her eyelid open and shone a light into her eyes. Yuzu's usual bright emerald eyes were now cold and dead, her pupils dilated. Her whole body was rigid, though her chest would still rise and fall indicating that she was at least still breathing. But every other part of her looked so stiff that you could have snapped her limbs off as easily as you would when snapping a toothpick.

Mei instinctively grabbed Yuzu's hand, flinching at how cold it was. It wasn't the kind of chill you felt off a person's hand on a cold winter night, it was more like the kind of icy feeling you felt when a person's body began to shut down. Like you could feel them slipping away.

Matsuri continued examining the girl's body. She pressed her ear against Yuzu's midriff. "Her blood circulation has retreated back to help her vital organs, that's why her body temperature is so low... But I can hear them beginning to shut down"

"What's wrong with her?", Mei asked anxiously. Just a few hours ago she'd seen Yuzu in her normal energetic stage. Even more than usual actually since she was so keen on making Mei feel better.

The shorter girl sighed next to her, "Well, it's more like what was wrong with you". She waved her wand a few times and Yuzu's body magically floated up off the ground and drifted down as softly as a feather onto the bed. "Vampiritis is an illness caused by a mutated virus in vampires. Cases of vampiritis are rare but they're just as harmless as colds are to humans. However, to a werewolf, being infected by vampiritis is fatal"

' _So, she'll just… die?'_ "Is-Isn't there anything you can do?", Mei asked desperately.

"There have been no known cases of werewolves recovering from it"

That last sentence hit Mei like a ton of bricks. Mei grit her teeth, as much as it hurt to hear that, she couldn't deny that she felt responsible for what happened to Yuzu. She was angry and confused but most of all she was terrified. As selfish as it may be, Mei didn't want, no, _couldn't_ go back to living alone. What would she do if Yuzu was gone? She used to scoff at the stories where the young lovers who couldn't bear to live without each other would go so far as killing themselves just so they could be together. It hadn't made sense to her at the time. But after meeting Yuzu she started to understand.

' _No',_ she thought. There was no way that she could give up now. She hadn't even told Yuzu how she felt. Actions speak louder than words but she didn't even _know_ what emotions she was acting on when she first kissed Yuzu. "There must be something you could do. If you were able to bring the living back from the dead then surely you can do something for Yuzu. Right, _Dr. Frankenstein_?"

Matsuri let out a small chuckle, "No one has called me that in a long time...". She put a hand under her chin in thought, "Hmm, I think there is _something…_ ", there was a pause. "I think I might be able to create a potion that can save Yuzu", Matsuri thought aloud.

Mei visibly lit up, "Then do it!"

"But…", Matsuri hesitated, "I'll need some of your blood"

Mei looked at her as if she was the stupidest person in the world, her expression perfectly summing up her thoughts, ' _What, that's it?'._ "Take it. Take as much as you need", she rolled up her sleeve to reveal her pale wrist. ' _Hell, you can take all of it if that's what it takes…'_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I a sadist to keep making Yuzu suffer in my fics or am I a masochist for liking Citrus in all its angsty glory? Maybe a little bit of both ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ . I realize that I made Mei a bit ooc because she follows her own path and doesn't take over her family's business but that's why it's an AU ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯. Full disclosure, I got the idea of 'vampiritis' from a manga I was reading, but I can't remember what it was called anymore (forgot to bookmark it). Also, I hope you like that twist with Matsuri's character :>


	3. Chapter 3

_'Ash Ivy, Dragon Bark, Spark Spice…'_ , Matsuri threw all sorts of spices into the boiling pot. By combining her knowledge of magic with medical science, she would once again try to do the impossible. If they'd had more time she would have gone back to her house to get the proper equipment but she would have to make do without her cauldron. The kitchen was a mess. The contents of the spice rack were spilled all over, pots and pans were strewn about and puddles of spillages dotted the kitchen floor. 'Alright, that should do it', she thought after stirring the mixture thoroughly. "Now for the last ingredient", she poured the red fluid that was Mei's blood into the boiling pot. Matsuri continued to stir.

_"Yuzu isn't just a werewolf. The reason why her hair colour is so rare is because she's a mixed breed. Her mother was a werewolf but her father was a kitsune. Kitsunes are descended from Japan. They're also known as fox spirits or nine-tailed foxes and are, much like vampires, immortal. Due to growing up with her mom, however, Yuzu's kitsune blood lay dormant, only knowing how to control her werewolf powers. I think, Yuzu's kitsune powers can be awakened if she drinks an immortal's blood to trigger her own immortality."_

Meanwhile, Mei was sitting next to Yuzu's bed. She was stroking Yuzu's hair gently, twirling the golden locks around her finger. _'It's funny. If it hadn't been for this beautiful blonde hair, we may have never met...'_ , the vampire girl thought to herself while processing what Matsuri had just told her. She thought back to the time when they first met. Yuzu was being hunted down by men for her unusual hair colour. They were going to sell her because of her rarity but while she was fleeing from them she came across the dark haired girl's mansion. The rest was history with Yuzu barging into the vampire's quiet life.

Tears began to fall as she watched the colour on Yuzu's face getting paler and paler, her breaths becoming shallower with each breath. She remembered how Yuzu, despite numerous times of messing up her chores, would never give up and try even harder. Thinking back on these times, Mei felt foolish for not realizing sooner that she had feelings for Yuzu. Her hand moved to the unconscious girl's cold hand and she gripped it tighter as if she was willing life and warmth into Yuzu.

Suddenly her eyes widened and she shot up from the chair. Mei leaned into the blonde's unmoving chest. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. Yuzu's heartbeat stopped.

Despair, panic and horror hit her all at once as the realization struck that Yuzu may never open her eyes again. 'What do I do?!'. Mei, almost stumbling over the chair, sprinted towards the door, " **Matsuri!** She stopped breathing!".

She heard rapid footsteps approaching the room almost immediately and after a few seconds, Matsuri finally arrived with the potion. She wasted no time in pouring the vial's contents into Yuzu's mouth, being careful not to spill a single drop. She stepped back and both girls held their breath. Vampiritis has been incurable to werewolves for many centuries, and even if Yuzu is half kitsune, there was no guarantee that the potion would work. Nothing was happening, was it too late?

Suddenly, a blinding glow shone from the blonde, followed by a loud gasp. Both girls sighed in relief. After filling her lungs with air, Yuzu's breathing seemed to have steadied. Though Yuzu was still unconscious it was clear that the potion worked. The former werewolf's blonde locks were brighter than before. It almost looked like they were emitting a celestial glow. Her skin was back to its usual healthy pigment and her limbs weren't as stiff as a board anymore.

Slowly, Yuzu began to open her eyes. Mei rushed to her side while Matsuri went off to fetch a glass of water.

"Hey", the vampire girl said softly as she stroked the girl's cheek.

"Hey", Yuzu said back weakly before sitting up from the bed. "What happened?", she held her head, remembering the painful migraine she had shortly before everything went black. After no reply came Yuzu looked up to see the usually stoic vampire in tears. "M-mei? What's wrong?"

Mei tried to wipe the tears away as she spoke, "You almost died, Yuzu. No- you did die. Your heart stopped!", she tried to explain in between sobs.

Yuzu didn't know what to do. She'd never seen this side of Mei. Before she could stop herself, she wrapped her arms around the other girl. "It's alright. I'm okay now, see?"

Mei looked into Yuzu's bright, green eyes. Earlier, her dilated pupils made it seem like her eyes were devoid of life but now they were full of life once more. Luminous, almost like a cat's eyes. She buried herself into the blonde's chest, hearing the rhythmic beating of Yuzu's heart. The vampire continued to silently sob into the other girl's chest until finally calming down and pulling away. An unexpected yet adorable chuckle escaped the vampire's lips which surprised the other girl.

"I just realized, that's the first time you called me by my name", Mei smiled a genuine smile.

It was so beautiful. _She_ was so beautiful that Yuzu couldn't help but lean in and steal a kiss. This kiss wasn't like the last one. This one was soft and quick. Not long enough to leave them breathless and not short enough to be considered a peck on the lips. But it was enough to convey what both girls were thinking; _'I love you'_

* * *

**The next day**

"Alright, there shouldn't be any problems now", Matsuri nodded confidently. She stayed over until the morning to check up on Yuzu after a night's rest.

"No problems?! Look at these!", Yuzu tugged at her tails. Yes, _tails_. It seemed like she had somehow grown another one overnight. "Why do I have two?!"

Matsuri shrugged nonchalantly, "My theory is that after coming back to life, another tail grew to represent your rebirth". She started packing her stethoscope into her bag, "Anyway, you'll get used to it. Since you've awakened your kitsune side, you'll keep growing tails the older you get, probably".

Mei hesitantly walked up to the shorter girl, looking apologetic while still trying to maintain her serious demeanor, "I guess I owe you my gratitude… and an apology"

"Oh? I didn't expect you to actually apologize", Matsuri smirked. However, her smug attitude was suddenly replaced by a genuine smile, "Since I met Yuzu, I've always looked up to her. Sure, she acts like a child sometimes and can act more immature than me but I still view her as my older sister", she looked over at the blonde, who was still tugging at her tails as if they would come off. "It's only natural that, as her younger sister, I'd want what's best for her. So, will you love and cherish her?", Matsuri looked into Mei's eyes, waiting for her answer.

Mei nodded as she held Matsuri's gaze with conviction. No words were needed to express her desire to stay with Yuzu.

"Okay… then what about these?", Yuzu interrupted them as she pointed at the top of her head in exaggerating motions.

"They're _ears_ Yuzu. Hmm, maybe you _did_ suffer some brain damage…"

"I know they're ears! But why do I have wolf…? Fox…?", she let out a frustrated growl, " _Animal ears_?! It's like when I'm halfway through my transformation during a full moon!"

Matsuri ignored her, noting that there was definitely nothing wrong with Yuzu, seeing as she was back to her energetic self. She handed a bottle of medicine to Mei, "Make sure to give her this after every meal until she finishes the whole bottle. It's for her organs, particularly her heart since it stopped beating for a few minutes"

Mei took the bottle carefully before the rambunctious blonde spoke up again, "What's that? Will it get rid of them?", she asked hopefully.

Matsuri grimaced and waved her wand, preparing for a teleportation spell. She did not want to hear any more of Yuzu's complaints. Just as she was about to disappear she looked at the vampire girl one more time, mouthing words only Mei was able to decipher; _'Take care of her'_.

Now that the young witch was gone, Mei turned her full attention to Yuzu, who was still causing a ruckus over the newly acquired appendages. "Getting another tail is one thing, but seriously? Animal ears?"

Without warning, the raven haired beauty began to pet her causing Yuzu to jump in surprise, "I quite like them", she said simply, still stroking the top of her hair, brushing over her ears every once in a while. A sudden purr escaped Yuzu's lips.

"Did you just... _purr_?", Mei couldn't help but grin at Yuzu's flustered face. "I didn't know you could do that"

Yuzu hid her face in embarrassment, "I didn't know I could do that either!"

The vampire girl chuckled before walking away towards the kitchen, "Shall we have some lunch? Matsuri said to give you some medicine after", she held up the bottle of medicine.

Yuzu scrambled after her, "W-wait, let me make lunch!".

"No, you stay in bed. I'll make lunch", Mei said sternly.

"But it's my job!"

Mei stopped all of a sudden. She seemed to be in deep thought before she turned back to the blonde, "Yuzu, you are no longer a full fledged werewolf, therefore you are no longer bound to the ancient rules", she paused for a moment. "This means that you do not have to continue being my servant. You may go wherever you wish and I'll see to it that you'll be paid in full for your time and services here"

 _'Eh?'_ , Yuzu's heart fell. _'Does that mean I'm no longer needed? Is she sending me away?'_

"But", Mei continued, "if you wish, you can continue to stay here in my mansion, with me. Not as my servant but as something more"

The blonde looked up to see the vampire holding a hand out to her. Despite being a vampire her face resembled her own red face.

Mei suddenly cleared her throat snapping Yuzu out of her daze, "W-will you be my lover?", the vampire asked bashfully. For the first time in her life, she felt so embarrassed that she couldn't meet someone in the eye. The silence was deafening and with each second that passed apprehension and doubt filled her mind. However, her worries dissipated the moment Yuzu flung herself at her, clinging onto each other in a warm embrace.

"Really? Are you sure? Are you fine with someone like me?", Yuzu bombarded her with questions. She couldn't believe that the girl she fell in love with felt the same about her.

Mei chuckled at Yuzu's enthusiasm, "I should be asking you that"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this super short mini series! As always, thanks for reading, all criticism is appreciated（‐＾▽＾‐）
> 
> (May or may not write more depending on my busy schedule of procrastination.)


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